When machining or otherwise working a workpiece on a numerical control machine, engraving machine or other mill, it is desirable to be able to scribe or engrave information into the workpiece. Typically this is accomplished by programming the machine and involves moving the tool to the surface of the workpiece, applying pressure as the stylus is moved along the surface of the workpiece to create the desired pattern.
When the term stylus is used herein, it refers to what may be referred to as a stylus, a toolbit, cutting tool (in some engraving applications or embodiments), or simply a tool that makes the marking on the workpiece.
The depth of the resulting engraved pattern depends in part on the hardness or softness of the material and the pressure applied to the material through the stylus. It is desirable in many cases to assure that the desired amount of pressure applied through the stylus remains constant so you have a constant indentation, cavity or other groove made by the stylus (for aesthetics or other reasons).
It is often times desirable to change the stylus for the next job or application, and current typical tool holders require that the entire tool holder be taken apart in order to make the change. It is an objective of one embodiment of this invention to provide a tool holder which allows the stylus to be more easily removed by simply removing the lower stylus sleeve and replacing the stylus with the desired stylus or tool for the next application.
With many typical engraving tool holders, if the user wants to mark or scribe harder materials they generally currently partly disassemble the tool holder and replace the standard springs with stronger ones, which makes it desirable to come up with a solution which would not require the replacement of the standard springs. Embodiments of this invention have the advantage of providing a first spring and then a second flexure spring, the second flexure spring only engaging when needed to provide additional force at the heaviest or heavier force settings required for the particular workpiece.
Depending on the usage, pressure, depth, workpiece and other factors, parts of the tool holder or engraver (for example such as the stylus or tool bit) become hotter than desired.
It is therefore desirable to provide some type of coolant fluid and/or lubricant through the tool holder and to the stylus. It is an object of some embodiments of this invention to provide an internal coolant and/or lubrication system which provides the appropriate coolant to the stylus during operations. The internal coolant provided may also be utilized in some embodiments of this invention to provide additional hydraulic force to the stylus or tool bit.
It is also desirable in some applications of some embodiments to provide a tool holder that includes an integral shank feature for use in some applications. This application or embodiment would not be intended nor be able to be held in a collet or end mill tool holder, but has other applications as will become evident to one of ordinary skill in the art from reviewing the various embodiments of this invention described below. It is therefore another object of some embodiments of this invention to provide a scribing or engraving tool holder which includes an integral shank.
It is an object of applications of some embodiments of this invention to provide a scribe which does not rotate, and yet in other embodiments it is an object to provide more of an engraver wherein the stylus rotates, and embodiments of this invention provide an effective coupling system to provide for the rotation of the stylus.
It is still further an object of embodiments of this invention to provide for such a scriber/engraver that the preset force on the stylus can be set and adjusted to a number of different forces, and one which optionally includes a gauge readout to allow the user to more easily set the force to pre-determined values consistently. The advantage of having a scale on the tool holder to facilitate this provides an improved way to consistently achieve repeatable forces on the stylus.
Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of this invention, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible to change in design and structural arrangement, with only one practical and preferred embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as required.